Process and apparatus for harvesting of crops from stalks and chopping the stalks

Abstract

A harvester attachment for stripping crop clusters from tall stalks such as corn includes an intake path into which the stalks are received. The stalks are pulled through a narrow gap disposed in the intake path to strip-off the crop clusters. A pair of rotary bladed members are arranged on opposite sides of the intake path beneath the narrow gap. Opposing blades on the rotating bladed members radially overlap as they rotate to engage and fracture the stalks. The tip speed of the blades on one of the bladed members is greater than the tip speed of the other bladed member to enable the stalks to be severed by the blades.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In a process for harvesting crop clusters of tall plant stalks, wherein said stalks are introduced into a longitudinally extending intake path and are pulled through a gathering gap disposed in said intake path to strip said crop clusters from said stalks, the improvement comprising the steps of: providing a pair of bladed rotary members having longitudinally extending axes disposed along opposing sides of said gathering gap,   rotating said members in opposite directions such that opposing blades of said members define a stalk contacting zone having an inlet situated proximate said gathering gap and an outlet situated remote from said gathering gap, said opposing blades having different tip speeds whereby stalks are fractured and severed by said opposing blades, said opposing blades radially overlapping during travel through said stalk contacting zone.   
     
     
       2. A process according to claim 1, wherein said opposing blades fracture said stalks adjacent said inlet of said stalk contacting zone and then sever said stalks adjacent said outlet of said stalk contacting zone. 
     
     
       3. A process according to claim 1, wherein said bladed members are rotated adjacent rear portions of intake rolls having stalk-engaging screw elements at their front ends. 
     
     
       4. A process according to claim 1, wherein said bladed members have the same diameter and are rotated at different angular speeds. 
     
     
       5. A process according to claim 1, wherein said bladed members have different diameters and are rotated at the same angular speed. 
     
     
       6. A process according to claim 1, wherein said providing step comprises providing the one of said bladed members having a greater tip speed with fewer blades than the other of said bladed members. 
     
     
       7. In a harvester attachment for gathering crop clusters of tall plant stalks including means defining a longitudinally extending stalk intake path in which stalks are received as said attachment is advanced, and means for pulling the stalks through a gathering gap disposed in said intake path to strip crop clusters from the stalks, the improvement comprising: a pair of bladed rolls having longitudinally extending axes of rotation disposed along opposite sides of said gathering gap, said rolls arranged such that opposing blades of said rolls define a stalk contacting zone having an inlet situated proximate said gathering gap and an outlet situated remote from said gathering gap, said opposing blades radially overlapping while traveling through said stalk contacting zone, and   drive means for rotating said rolls in opposite directions and such that opposing blades have different tip speeds whereby stalks are fractured and severed by said opposing blades.   
     
     
       8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said means for pulling stalks through said gathering gap comprises a pair of helical screw members situated forwardly of said bladed rolls and rotatable about said axes of rotation. 
     
     
       9. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said bladed rolls have the same diameter and said drive means rotates said bladed rolls at different angular speeds. 
     
     
       10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the faster of said bladed rolls rotates at a speed which is N times faster than the slower of said bladed rolls, said faster bladed roll having 1/N times the number of blades as said slower bladed roll. 
     
     
       11. Apparatus according to claim 7 including a pair of shafts to which said bladed rolls are connected, said drive means comprising gears connected to said shafts, said gears being configured to rotate one of said shafts faster than the other. 
     
     
       12. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said bladed rolls have different diameters and are rotated at the same angular speed. 
     
     
       13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said bladed rolls have the same number of blades. 
     
     
       14. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said bladed roll whose blades have a greater tip speed contains fewer blades than the other bladed member. 
     
     
       15. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said bladed roll with the fewer number of blades has one-half the number of blades as the other bladed roll. 
     
     
       16. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said bladed rolls include rotary shafts, said drive means including gear means connected to at least one of said shafts, at least one of said bladed rolls being rotatable relative to said gear means and the other bladed roll to enable the relative angular positions of said opposing blades to be adjusted. 
     
     
       17. Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said gear means is connected to only one of said shafts, said shafts including meshing toothed wheels for transmitting rotation from said one shaft to the other. 
     
     
       18. Apparatus according to claim 7 including a pair of gathering plates spaced apart to define said gathering gap, said bladed members being spaced by different distances from said gathering plates. 
     
     
       19. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each of said bladed rolls is shaped as a polygon in crosssection, said blades projecting from sides of said polygon. 
     
     
       20. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each of said bladed rolls is separated into a plurality of longitudinally adjacent sections arranged in a circumferentially offset manner so that the blade tips of said sections of each bladed roll engage stalks successively. 
     
     
       21. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said blade tips extend longitudinally non-parallel to said axes of rotation whereby said blades engage stalks progressively in the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
       22. Apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said blade tips are curved in the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
       23. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said bladed rolls are rotatable about mutually parallel axes oriented to extend substantially perpendicular to a direction of advancement of said harvester attachment.--